In Your Heart Forever
by Tiffy
Summary: This is a story about Cloud dying and being reincarnated into a wolf and shows how Tifa and him are handling it. If you have ever seen the move Fluke, then you know what angle I'm coming from.


  
  
  
Author's Note: Okay, this is kind of a strange story and if you have ever seen the movie Fluke, then you would understand where I'm coming from. I'm not an emotional person, and that movie made me ball my eyes out. But anyways, these signs mean that the animals are talking to each other and ~ ~ these means that it's a memory from somebody else other than Kobat. And yes, Kobat's name changes to Rabab after Cid finds him. (so don't get confused...Kobat=Rabab. Same person.)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
His ears lied back against the back of his head tightly. His paw laid in front of him as he crouched down waiting to make his move. A slight swaying of the tail almost caught him off balance but he recovered himself before meeting the dirt below him.   
  
Careful now. One mistake and you'll lose him, a voice entered his head.   
  
I know. I know, he answered back quickly. His claws dug down into the dirt as he put force on them allowing him to dash off quickly. The unsuspecting deer raised its head from the earth and perked its ears to listen to the silent predator.   
  
The wolf's clumsy paws made it difficult to run after the swift deer. He felt his teeth almost latch onto the flank of the deer but wind breezed by his mouth as his muzzle ended up in the dirt. He had messed it up again.   
  
Clumsy, the larger wolf teased as he trotted proudly up to him. His fur was dark and shaggy unlike the younger wolf's sleek blondish coat.   
  
You could at least give me credit for trying, the younger wolf said calmly as he climbed back onto his feet.   
  
Give it time Kobat. You're still young. The older wolf's words gave the pup hope, but somehow he felt as if nothing could ever help him. Kobat shook his head ferociously trying to dispose of the dirt that filled his mouth and teeth. Laughter filled his head as he watched Badra disappear deeper into the forest.   
  
Kobat scoffed to himself for his clumsy puppy feet. Dark green and gray colors began to flow through his head as a memory from somewhere that he didn't remember came back to him.   
  
'A few soldiers were pacing around the room waiting to hear their fate. I was sitting in the far room with my head in my hands waiting for them to hand me the piece of paper that declared if we made it through the physical training. I had never been very fit since I decided to join SOLDIER, but the years of training here helped me with that.   
  
A sergeant was walking around with the small white envelopes passing them out. I didn't even notice when he strolled by me and was trying to get my attention.  
  
"Cloud Strife?" a voice called down to me. I perked my head up and looked at the expression on the sergeant's face. They were good at hiding the news. He handed me the small envelope and walked off shouting out the next soldier's name.   
  
The envelope was thick and seemed to hold many papers. I heard that was a bad sign. I took my chances anyways and carefully peeled the sealed envelope open. The papers inside seemed to flow out of the envelope. Physical files, personal files, and almost any other file that you could think of was being held inside of it.   
  
Then I noticed the small ticket that was hidden within all of it. It was a ticket back to Nibelheim. 'A failure...' I thought to myself as I stood up from the corner and walked out of the cramped room.'  
  
That's too weird, Kobat thought to himself as his nose flung up into the air in search for his partner. The two never considered each other friends, for there were no friends in the wild. You either were family, partners, or enemies. That's the way life was for him.   
  
A strange scent entered Kobat's nose as he continued to sniff the air. Suddenly a howl entered his ears before Badra burst out from the bushes in front of him.  
  
Get out of here! Badra exclaimed as he flew past Kobat.  
  
What'd you do? Kobat asked back. His question was quickly answered when he heard a loud gunshot and a whistle by his right ear. His legs pushed off the ground in pursuit of Badra and away from the danger.   
  
"Damn f*cking dogs! Stay offa' my property!" a bellowing sound came from the trees. The man's arm swung in the air as he fired off more shots. His right arm was still in the air revealing a gun that had been surgically placed there instead of an artificial arm. Barret Wallace was always a big intimidating man especially with his deep voice. He made sure that the wolves were long gone before going back to his business.  
  
What was that all about? Kobat asked while still running. Badra whiffed the air knowing that his nose would be able to pick up if the danger was gone. He stopped from his fast pace and looked behind him.  
  
That man had free meat hanging up on his wall. I figured that he wouldn't mind that much, Badra explained. Kobat hung his head low as he walked up to Badra.   
  
Don't worry pup. We'll get some food from somewhere, Badra encouraged Kobat to keep his hopes up. Badra began to walk along a trail that the two had followed for months now with a regular routine. Kobat followed behind him sniffing the ground to pick up any new scents and information about the forest.  
  
Badra, Kobat tried to bring up a conversation. Do you ever get strange visions?  
  
Strange visions? What the hell are you talking about? Badra's voice sounded rough and annoyed from the question.  
  
You know, visions from another life, Kobat's voice was uncertain but the visions were there. Badra stopped immediately and turned his head towards him making his green eyes stare right at Kobat's ice blue eyes.  
  
Look. Obviously you must just be spending too much time thinking about humans. That's probably the reason why you haven't made your first kill yet, Badra's gruff voice mad Kobat cower in front of him. Badra was so much larger than the yearling and was much stronger.   
  
What if this isn't our first life though? What if we once were humans and had a family and...  
  
Enough with the what-ifs! This isn't any Cinderella story!  
  
See? How would you know about Cinderella? Because you heard about that in your former life, Kobat stood in front of Badra trying to make himself larger to prove his point. Badra chuckled to himself and began to walk on again.   
  
You should forget about it kid. All the past will do is haunt you. Anyways, you're living a better life now. You now ARE a wolf and there's nothing you can do about it. I've got everything I want, so there is no reason for the past to torture me. I'm proud of who I am and of who I was.  
  
Obviously there's something there that didn't please you. Or else you would have forgotten about it, Kobat added to the end of his words.  
  
There is, I can assure you there is. I let a fabulous woman get away, and second, I never did look out for that kid. There's nothing I can do about it now though, that's why I continue to live on as I am now and try not to let those things bother me.   
  
The two walked a couple of yards before they came up to a sparkling spring. The water was sweet to the tongue and quenched one's thirst. Trees shadowed over large boulders that were strategically placed around and through the spring.   
  
Let's rest here for a while. Then we'll go see what food we can scrap up, Badra explained. His paws led him over to the spring where he lapped up the fresh water and soaked his dry tongue. Kobat ignored the spring and went directly to a large boulder where the sun beamed down on the top of it. His light colored fur allowed him to bathe in the sun without over heating.  
  
Kobat's legs stretched out from beneath him as he laid his body gently on the dusty rock. His tongue hung from his mouth as he gave a quiet pant before lying his head down on the rock and closing his eyes.   
  
'The house was so familiar that it scared me. The dark shaggy carpet and wood that lied over the kitchen, the old arm chair was sitting in the living room, and even the broken chair that I needed to fix were the same. Then there was her. Dark, auburn hair with beautiful amber eyes and a smile that made you feel like the sun was shining on you.  
  
She was walking from the kitchen to the front door to greet me like she had everyday. I felt her soft lips meet mine as she pulled me in through the door. She parted from the kiss and I waited to hear her soft voice. I saw her lips part but no sound exited. Had I just become deaf? Why couldn't I hear what she was saying? I was beginning to become aggravated until she smiled at me.   
  
Her hair flung around her as she turned away and continued her way back to the kitchen. I followed her and inhaled the sweet smell of her perfume and delicious scent of dinner cooking. As I entered the kitchen, I noticed her put her hand on my shoulder and she began to shake me. Her lips began to move again but I wasn't able to understand what she was saying.'  
  
Kobat. Kobat! Get you're butt up! Badra's voice annoyed Kobat as he jerked his head up to meet him.   
  
I thought you would never get up. Come on, let's go get some dinner." Badra leaped off of the rock and fell gracefully onto the ground below him. Kobat watched him turn around to face him.   
  
All right. I'm coming, Badra announced as he too leapt from the boulder. His landing wasn't as smooth like Badra's was, for he ended up not being able to coordinate his back legs right making his front end fall to the ground and his hind end landed. Badra would've fallen over laughing if it wasn't for his good balance.   
  
Badra? Do you think it's possible to meet up with somebody that you didn't even know still existed? Kobat asked as they started to take off.  
  
What? Are you talking nonsense again? Just forget about it, okay? Badra insisted and picked up his pace. Kobat stopped and looked down at the ground.  
  
I...I...I don't think I can live anymore without seeing her face again Badra. I wasn't supposed to die yet. I wanted to live my life with her, have a family with her, grow old with her. It's too much. I see her in my dreams every night and I feel like I could just die, Kobat explained.  
  
Fine then. If you want to go carry out your crazy dreams then you can do it without me, Badra's voice wasn't filled with anger, but rather disappointment. He trotted off into the trees and disappeared. Kobat raised his head in the air trying to pick up the scent from where Badra was heading off to. A strange smell entered his nose and worried him immediately.   
  
Wait! Badra watch out! Kobat yelled as he followed his friend into the deathtrap. Badra was darting towards him once more and the two tried to run off towards safety. Gunshots darted through the air missing the two by inches. Two chocobos crashed through the small bushes in pursuit of the wolves.  
  
"Come on! Don't let them get away!" one of the hunters ordered as they began to chase them. Kobat's legs began to tangle up from beneath him as he tried to catch up with Badra's speed.   
  
Badra! I can't keep up! Kobat exclaimed as he tripped over a root that rose from the ground. His light fur fell into a puddle of mud making his face have a dark mask on the right side.   
  
Hey kid! This isn't time to take a mud bath! Badra ran back to the young wolf and placed his teeth on Kobat's scruff trying to pull him on his feet quicker. A loud ringing went through their ears as a chocobo gave a high pitch screech. Badra felt pain run through his abdomen area but he didn't flinch. Kobat scrambled to his feet and started to dart off again with Badra catching up quickly. They ran a half mile towards a small lake that they would visit every once and awhile.   
  
I think this is far enough. I'm just going to lie down for a little while, Badra felt his legs collapse from beneath him.   
  
Badra! Kobat exclaimed as he ran over to the older wolf's aid. He looked over his body carefully smelling that familiar metallic smell of blood. On Badra's side was a bullet hole that entered in through his stomach and the bullet still laid inside of him somewhere.   
  
Badra...no, Kobat lowered his head down and tried to clean the wound by his tongue.   
  
Kobat. Remember what I said, all right? I was serious about it, Badra's voice was beginning to sound weary from the loss of blood.  
  
Badra, y...you're going to be all right. We don't need to worry about that stuff. Denial swept over the young wolf from his partners injury and weak state.   
  
Maybe we'll meet again... Badra's words were soft and swept over Kobat like the wind. His chest rose slowly as the few last breathes of air entered and exited.  
  
Badra... Kobat felt sorrow in his heart but there were no tears to shed. Wolves didn't shed tears, only humans did but that didn't mean that his heart didn't still sink. He laid his head on his partner's neck as memories of another death flowed into his head.   
  
' "...My hands are shaking, my eyes and throat burn." His evil glare stared into my soul and his green eyes cut through me like knives through butter. Her body laid limp in my arms as blood began to pool on the ground. The murderer started to babble on about something but I didn't care.   
  
"Shut up!" I began to ramble on about my feelings, and how he had killed an innocent life. His words began to fill my head: failure, puppet. I was still in shock from the quick death, but soon I would have found out that the hardest part would be letting go.'  
  
Aeris... the name popped up into Kobat's head almost as quickly as the image. His heart felt like it was going to shatter as blame began to layer itself over the few happy moments in his life. It was my fault. I'm such a failure... He hung his tail in between his legs as he climbed up and balanced on his feet.   
  
I can't take care of myself. I haven't ever been able to make a successful hunt because I relied on Badra so much. Kobat dragged his feet over to the lake and he was able to look at his reflection clearly. The wolf ears hung to the side from the sadness that filled his heart and his eyes were heavy from the day's events.   
  
Kobat continued to look at his reflection when he noticed a glimpse of a man beyond the wolf. His blonde hair was a spikey mess with ocean blue eyes. They had a strange glow to them but he immediately knew who the man was. Kobat continued to stare at himself.   
  
I'm not Cloud anymore. He died along with his dreams... Kobat turned away from the reflection and felt a soft wind breeze by him. He felt a damp feeling streak down on one side of his face. Crying? Wolves can't cry...They aren't supposed to have feelings like this.   
  
Kobat's big paws carried his solemn body around the forest for endless days and nights. He stumbled over a small root that emerged out of the ground making him land face first in the hard soil. His weak legs tried desperately to pick his heavy body off of the ground. This is it...Nothing to live for anyways... his thoughts ended as he shut his eyes and was left in the abyss of dreary thoughts.  
  
'She was standing by a coffin with a black veil covered over her face. She was crying. It hurt me so much to see her cry. A man was standing behind her who had blonde shaggy hair, but appeared to be much older than her. He wore a pair of goggles even if it was a funeral. Cid Highwind. He was one of the best men I have ever known. He had such a cocky attitude almost enough to match Barret Wallace's. Those two together could entertain anybody, and we almost suggested to them to be comediests.   
  
But that girl that stood there still caught my eye. Her features were so perfect, her smile was perfect, heck, she was perfect at just being perfect. I still can't remember the name though. That irritates me. Doesn't matter though, I'm going to be dead soon anyways. I think...'  
  
"Hey pup, I see you're finally coming around," a gruff voice said from above Kobat. He looked up to see a familiar face looking down at him. Blue eyes stared at him and the familiar smell of smoke clogged his nose.   
  
Cid! Cid you're alive! Kobat was so excited to see a familiar face. His tail started to wag slowly and the smell of warmth and comfort filled his nose. Too bad you don't know who I am. Man, it's great to see you again.   
  
"I see he's coming around," a female's voice said sweetly as she walked into the corner of the room. Kobat felt the cushioning of the soft pillows underneath him.   
  
"Yeah Shera. This stupid f*ck, I'm so surprised that he's not dead. Did you get the food?" Cid asked Shera who was kneeling down to Kobat.   
  
"Right here," Shera answered kindly and set the warm dish down next to the pillow. Hot scents of meats filled Kobat's nose making him rise to his feet. His nose sniffed the air and his muzzle found the dish quickly and was filling his mouth with luscious pieces of meat.   
  
"You know we can't keep him. Cid, we barely have enough to feed us, anyways I'm betting he belongs to somebody," Shera explained trying to refrain Cid from getting to attached to the young wolf.   
  
"I know. But I bet I know somebody that would love to keep him. She needs somebody so bad right now," Cid's smile assured Kobat but at the moment Kobat didn't really care though. The food was settling very well in his stomach and his appetite was telling him to eat more and more.  
  
"What should his name be?" Shera asked as she stroked the back of Kobat's head with her soft hand. For the shape that he was in, his fur was surprisingly soft to the touch and very soothing.   
  
"Rabab. It means white cloud in Arabic," Cid answered acting like a know it all.   
  
"I didn't know you knew Arabic?"  
  
"When you're up in the air as much as I am, you know just about every name for cloud that there is," Cid chuckled to himself as he watched the wolf's tail begin to wag again. "We can bring him over tomorrow. Right now we need to brush him down and make him look like he hasn't been dying in the f*cking woods."   
  
"All right. I'll give him a bath just as soon as he's done eating. Rabab, that's a nice name," Shera pronounced the name to the yearling. Kobat perked up from his dish and continued to wag his tail.   
  
It'll be hard getting used to a new name, but I guess I can go through it, Kobat thought to himself.   
  
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Rabab hung his head high as Shera tied a blue ribbon around his neck. It felt good the starving pup to be clean again and to have a full stomach. His tail wagged at almost any sound that was being made from around the house. Cid was such a good friend to him. He always had been and always will.   
  
I wonder who they're giving me away to. I hope it isn't Yuffie Kisargi, Rabab's thoughts flowed through his head as he watched Cid take his jacket off of the coat rack. His muscular arms fit through the sleeves with little effort.   
  
"I'll get dinner going for you while you're gone," Shera was trying to hold back tears. She became so attached to the young wolf in the last few days. The thought of losing the little wolf hurt her heart, but she knew it was for the best. Tifa Lockheart needed him so much more than she did right now. Cid gave Shera a small kiss on the lips before he opened the door.   
  
"Ya coming mutt?" Cid asked as he propped the door open with his hand. Rabab stuck his tongue out and started to pant lightly from the heat of the house. He padded his way out the door and to the large aircraft that was sitting outside of the small town.   
  
"Captain!" a young pilot ran up and saluted to Cid.  
  
"Is the Highwind ready for flight?" Cid asked back with a commanding voice.  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
"Let's get going then! I need to make a special stop at Costa Del Sol." Cid smiled as he continued to walk out of the city with Rabab following at his side. His hand reached down to the pup's head and he patted him gently. Rabab's fur felt almost like rabbit's fur but a little tougher to endure the elements a little better.   
  
"Come on Rabab! Let's get you over to Costa Del Sol!" Cid's voice sounded so happy and his actions surprised Rabab. He began to run towards the stairs of the Highwind. Rabab watched curiously at first before following behind afraid to be left behind. A low howl escaped his snout as he heaved his body up the stairs of the Highwind.  
  
"That's the first time I heard you state your opinion," Cid laughed at the strange sound that came from the wolf. Rabab continued to howl joyously and ran around on the deck of the Highwind. He lost all control of his body as he jumped and played on the deck. He crouched down in a playing position as he saw Cid begin to walk into a door.   
  
I'm not going to let you get away that easy! Rabab thought to himself as he ran after Cid. His instincts to play got the better of him as he jumped up on Cid and licked his face with his slobbery tongue.   
  
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Get down, boy!" Cid exclaimed as he tried to push him down with his arms. More howls escaped Rabab's teeth as he tried to jump up into Cid's arms. Cid grinned evilly and grabbed the wolf's bottom as he hopped up again. Rabab was shocked when he found himself off of the ground and resting in Cid's arms like a baby.  
  
"All right, let's get this show on the road!" Cid exclaimed as he walked onto the bridge and greeted all of his fellow pilots and students.  
  
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Tifa Lockheart leaned on the dull table with her head resting in her hands. It must've been a Sunday for her, but she never did pay attention anymore. Every day was long and the nights were short. She was lucky if she was able to get any sleep. Her mind always kept her up from "what ifs" and "I should have." Crying herself to sleep was usually the most effective, but lately she had no more tears to cry.   
  
"It's been a year Tifa...Time to get over him..." her own words startled her. Her legs self-consciously lifted her off the small chair and led her over to the door. A faint knocking claimed her attention to answer her guest. The door handle felt cold on her chilled hand but wasn't enough to make her back away.   
  
"Hey Tif! What are you up to?" Cid asked as the door peeked open and Tifa looked blankly outside.   
  
"Hi Cid. What brings you here?" Tifa asked trying to sound like her usual cheery voice. She gave him an uneasy smile before finally inviting him in.   
  
"Wait a sec. I've got something I want to give you. It's not much, but I thought it would lighten up your lonely mood a little bit," Cid's slightly enthusiastic voice caught Tifa's curiosity.   
  
"What do you...?" Tifa's sentence was cut off when a white flash darted onto her and made her collapse to the ground. A slobbery tongue quickly clobbered her face as she tried to push the beast off of her chest. Cid's laughter bellowed from outside as he watched the playful pup grow attached to the young woman very quickly.   
  
"I think he likes you," Cid finally stated as he looked down at her.   
  
Tifa! I remember you! I thought I would never see you again! Oh Tifa...how much I wish I could just pick you up in my arms right now and hug you to death... Rabab's tongue continued to viciously lap around on Tifa's face. His words could only be heard by him, for humans were too dense to understand the words of a wolf.   
  
"Hey boy, get off. Come on, let me up!" Tifa's voice was engulfed by excitement and joy as this new being came into her life.  
  
"I can't stay but his name's Rabab. It means white cloud in Arabic. I'll see ya later Tifa and if he gives you any problems, just call." Cid waved to the woman and placed his hands in his pocket as he walked down the entranceway of the house.   
  
"Rabab eh?" Tifa stated as she finally got the young wolf off of her. "You've got some blue eyes there pup." Rabab wagged his tail as he looked at Tifa before giving her another kiss on the cheek. She giggled happily as she felt his tongue tickle her.   
  
"I bet you're hungry. Come on, let's go in the kitchen and get you something to eat." Tifa gained her balance on her feet and headed off towards the kitchen with Rabab at her heals. Her hand reached the refrigerator and she looked around to see what kind of food was edible for a wolf.   
  
"Here are some left-overs. Until I can get down to the store and get you some real food, this will have to do," Tifa said kindly as she placed the plate of corn and rice on the tiled floor. Rabab waggled his tail and pushed his snout into the plate engulfing the food with his jaws.   
  
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A few days had past and Tifa had decided to re-open her bar to costumers. There was always one week during the year where everybody knew that the famous bar would be closed down. Thankfully that week had passed and it looked as if Tifa had made a new friend.   
  
Tifa was standing at the front door to her bar saying her thank yous and good byes to her last visitor. Her visitor had been very drunk, but he still had a good heart for being around the age of 60. She closed the door gently behind him and turned the lock to prevent any other visitors from entering. Rabab had been supposovely-sleeping upstairs in her room when she heard a loud clank come from upstairs.   
  
Tifa ran up the stairs quickly expecting to see some masked burglar standing at her bed trying to take all of her valuables. She took pre-cautions as she inched slowly to her room from where the nose had been emitted. Her fists were squeezed together, ready for anything.   
  
'All right Tifa, let's just see what this is,' Tifa thought to herself trying to build up her courage. With a quick leap, she jumped in front of the door and ran inside ready to face any kind of battle. To her surprise, Rabab was sitting on her bed with one of Cloud's shirts in his mouth. It was his favorite blue tank top that he wore so often.   
  
"Rabab," Tifa said sadly as she walked over to her bed. Her drawer had been knocked down so the pup could reach the shirt that had been hidden on top of the shelf. She took the shirt from him gently and easily with on of her hands patting his head in the process. Her heart began to sink again as memories of Cloud began to flood her mind. She held the shirt up to her heart and also up to her face in attempt to smell the familiar scent of her beloved. She sat down at the edge of the bed looking at the shirt with awkward eyes.   
  
Tifa had thought that there were no more tears to spill but seeing his tank top almost made her lose it once more. She held the shirt close to her tightly as she closed her eyes tightly to prevent the unavoidable tears from falling. Her attempts failed quickly as tears began to streak down her cheeks and onto the soft cloth.   
  
Rabab stepped softly on the bed over to Tifa and nudged her shoulder with his cold nose. Tifa looked back and saw the sadness that now filled Rabab's eyes. Rabab lied down on his paws and laid his head on Tifa's lap trying to comfort her. Her hand found itself on Rabab's ear scratching in gingerly as tears continued to spill out.   
  
"I'm sorry Rabab...this used to be Cloud's..." Tifa's words were sad and confused from the pup's actions. Her mind had begun to rewind as she remembered that fateful night when she heard about what had happened to Cloud.  
  
~The phone had rung many times before she had decided to pick it up. Cloud had been two hours late from work and had begun to worry her. Midgar was a very unforgiving town at night and Cloud could have easily been mugged or worst. Even if he had defeated Sephiroth, the thugs around the town were devilish and only had evil on their mind.   
  
"Hello?" Tifa asked as she talked into the phone. A young woman's voice was on the other side of the receiver.   
  
"Is this a Miss Tifa Lockheart?" the woman asked.  
  
"This is her speaking," Tifa stated becoming intrigued by the woman.   
  
"This is the nurse from Midgar Hospital..." The nurse didn't even have to finish before Tifa felt her heart drop down to her knees. Shock began to run through her soul, as the few minutes of the woman's explanation seemed to take an eternity.  
  
"Cloud Strife had an accident with a semi-truck and is in the emergency room."  
  
"Is he all right?" Tifa asked before the woman could finish.   
  
"I'm not sure at the moment..." the woman answered unsure.  
  
"I'll be there in a few minutes!" Tifa exclaimed and hung up the phone. If only she had known what fate had laid out for the two, then she probably never would have let Cloud go to work at Midgar that day.   
  
The emergency room seemed packed and none of her answers were being answered. All the nurses had told her was to wait in the waiting room and we'll be there in a minute. But she didn't want to know in a minute, she wanted to know now. She finally had to give up and wait out in the living room in desperate attempt to calm down and hope for the best.   
  
An hour passed before she noticed nurses and doctors begin to exit the room. One doctor seemed to have an irritated look on his face while another seemed to be disappointed. The sad faces that left the room didn't give Tifa much hope. Gloves were being snapped off of the doctors as one walked over to her.   
  
"I don't know really how to say this. I've been able to for twenty years, and now I can't," the doctor said truthfully. Vain filled his eyes as he looked down at the hopeful woman.   
  
"He's all right isn't he?" Tifa said already trying to deny the truth.   
  
"He had very severe head damage. Even...if he had survived...he probably would have been brain dead..." the doctor's words hit Tifa like a thousand knives.   
  
"No..." she said softly to herself. Her worst nightmare had come to life, as she had no time to say good-bye to the person that had meant everything to her. Her hands already began to wipe the tears away that had been falling from the exasperation of just waiting for the news. Then the truth hit her and all of her feelings inside came spilling out through sobs. She felt the doctor's hand on her shoulder trying to calm the sorrow inside of the young woman's heart.~  
  
Even today it was hard for Tifa to remember the nightmare of losing Cloud. Her hand began to shake as she clenched it on Cloud's shirt. She tried to push the memories of that day in the back of her mind. Rabab's soft fur rubbed against her cheek in an attempt to cheer her up from her lonely mood.   
  
A loud knocking at the downstairs door caught Tifa off guard. Her legs scrambled to lift her off the bed and she stumbled into the hallway. She desperately tried to wipe any evidence of tears that had fallen off of her face. Rabab leaped off the bed in pursuit of Tifa as curiosity also plagued his mind.   
  
Tifa's hand reached for the doorknob and turned it quickly to greet her unexpected visitor. The man's red hair blew gently in the wind as he waited for the door to open. He heard the door click as it unlocked and the squeaking door handle turn. A small crack began to form letting light in the small entrance way.   
  
"Johnny!" Tifa exclaimed as she pulled the door open faster to greet her friend. Johnny smiled his sly smile to her. Johnny wasn't even able to enter the door when he felt his body jolt back and hit the cement outside hard. The weight of the wolf prevented him from standing back up.   
  
"Rabab!" Tifa yelled and tried to grab the scruff of the attacking wolf. Johnny felt the wolf's canines sink into his arm that he instinctively put out in front of him to protect his face. Rabab tasted the sweet blood being released by the puncture wounds that now lined Johnny's arm.   
  
Rage engulfed Rabab making him attack viciously and letting nothing stop him from his mission to kill his enemy. He felt a hard kick on his side and he flew over to the side of the entranceway. He was disorientated for a moment and tried to regain his balance back on his legs. By the time he was able to see what was going on, the door to inside was closed and there was nothing there but air.   
  
Johnny looked down at his arm from inside and immediately walked over to where the telephone was sitting. He dialed a number to report the mad wolf and have the animal punished for his unnatural behavior.   
  
"Where did you get him, Tifa?" Johnny asked as he let the phone ring in his ear.   
  
"Cid gave him to me. He said that he found him dying in the woods and nursed him back to health. He never acted like that around me. I don't know why he would have done something like that," Tifa said solemnly as she listened to Johnny begin to talk to the people on the other line.   
  
"Officer? Yeah, I have a mad animal here..."   
  
  
Rabab crouched low in the bushes that grew next to Tifa's house. They had grown a lot since he had last seen it, but somehow they still seemed to bud those small pink flowers as usual. He watched closely as he saw a police car pull up and two officers walk out. Johnny's car sat next to an old tree with the window rolled down from the sun's rays.   
  
I will get my revenge on him. All of those years hurting me... Rabab thought to himself as he watched the officers walk into the house. His swift legs carried him through the window with ease and he landed softly on the cushion. He smelled the seats and the smell of cigarettes and beer filled his nose.   
  
I never...ever liked that guy. Rabab perked his ears up as he heard the stirring noses from inside and the door opening up. He jumped swiftly into the back seat and hid himself behind the driver's seat and in the foot space. Johnny came strolling out from Tifa's house and waved good-bye to her. His keys rattled in his hand as he walked over to his car and unlocked the door to his small car.   
  
Johnny roared the engine to life as he stuck a cigarette into his mouth. His lighter was sitting in the cup holder and he sparked it up to light up his cigarette. The smoke began to pollute the air and burned Rabab's nose. Johnny pushed down on the gas petal, making the car jump into gear and go on its way down the road.  
  
Johnny turned down a side street and drove a slight bit faster than the speed limit. A curb was sitting about 3 miles down the road and what appeared to be a woman standing there in a small dress. Rabab felt the car begin to slow down and finally come to a halt in front of the young girl.   
  
"Hey babe," Johnny greeted through the rolled down window. "What're you doing out here right now?"   
  
"Just walking home. Hey, I'll meet you at the bar tonight, okay?" the young girl leaned into the window and gave Johnny a small kiss on the lips before leaving.   
  
Poor Tifa. Johnny's just been playing her this whole time... Rabab's thoughts were interrupted when he felt the car speed up abruptly and started down the road again. A low growl developed in his throat as anger began to well up inside of him. He bared his large teeth and jumped onto the back seat to get ready for an attack.   
  
"What the hell?" Johnny asked as he looked into the rearview mirror. He didn't have a chance to see the white ghost attack him and the teeth once again sank into his arm. He desperately tried to steer the car with his one good hand. The car swerved from the side of the road to the middle of the road and back to the other side. The tree that lied in front of him came upon him too quickly to dodge and the front end of the car cracked as it rammed up against the giant trunk.  
  
Rabab felt his head hit the windshield and shatter the window. The sudden stop threw him through the window. His body fell limp on the ground and pain shot through his entire body. His once blonde fur was now drenched in the red blood from his wounds.   
  
I don't care if I die now. I took my revenge on him but now if I do survive, I need to protect Tifa, Rabab's thoughts flowed through his head as his eyes began to close. The will to die at the moment almost surpassed the will to survive. His shaky legs barely were able to fold in a position where he could stand himself up. His breathing began to slow down and his eyes began to shut once more.   
  
Tifa... Only thoughts of his beloved began to fill his heart and mind. I made a promise to you, so many years ago. I may not be the same Cloud, but I still promise to come and be your hero. Rabab's legs picked up his heavy body and he limped away from the smoking car. He heard an ambulance far away in the distance but Johnny would live.   
  
The forest in front of him was beginning to grow dark from the setting sun. Rabab limped through the dense forest that he hoped would lead to a familiar meadow. His small legs carried him slowly to the field but he made it there in good time and the sun was still in the sky when he finally saw the opening to the exit.   
  
The cemetery gates only lined one side of the cemetery for the trees that lined it heavily protected the other sides. Rabab trotted over to a tree that was so familiar, even if he had never visited it in his former life. A small cold flake landed on his nose as he looked up at the now cloudy sky and watched the snowfall down heavily. He continued his way over to the tree and looked at the large stone that was coming out of the ground.   
  
Rabab felt his body become weak once again as he lied down next to the stone for protection against the winds and snow. He curled his tail around his cold nose and hoped that he would live through the night to see Tifa at least once again.   
  
************************************************************************  
  
Tifa's car came to a stop at the front gates of the cemetery. She visited Cloud's grave everyday to help her aching heart. The snow was deep and she had to make her own path to the grave that was underneath the large oak tree.   
  
'Cloud, help me find Rabab. He's the only thing that has meant so much to me for the past few days. Please...' Tifa prayed in her head hoping that it would be answered.   
  
Rabab perked his head up as he heard the soft steps come towards him. Snow buried his body and everything around him was now a shade of white instead of the colorful oranges and reds. His attention was caught when he heard a beautiful prayer being asked inside of his head. A glass shard had cut his lower right ankle almost to the bone making it painful to walk even the shortest distance. He found himself lying face down in the snow hoping that this beautiful prayer would reach him.   
  
Tifa continued to plow through the snow to the large tree. It took her a good 20 minutes to make a 10-minute walk over to it. When she reached the small tombstone head she stopped and looked down at it.   
  
Cloud Strife   
1980-2001  
  
The rest of the tomb was covered up from the freshly fallen snow. Tifa was in a daze as she gazed at her love's grave. A tear rolled down her cheek and turned to a crystal before hitting the powdery snow. Her attention was caught when she heard a small whimpering coming from the side of her. She looked around and saw the small trail of blood that led to a furry lump lying in the snow.   
  
Tifa followed the trail to the strange object and quickly recognized the blonde colored fur. Her hand reached down to stroke the wolf's back and tries to comfort it from its pain. Rabab turned his head up and looked at Tifa and waggled his tail with all of his effort.   
  
"It's okay buddy, I'm here," Tifa cooed as she stoked his head softly with her gentle touch. Rabab pulled away from her hand and stood up from his resting spot. His front leg automatically collapsed from underneath him but he kept his balance well with his other three legs. He hopped over to the tombstone and noticed the first words that were engraved in gold writing on it. Tifa watched him with curious eyes as the wolf continued to stare at the grave.   
  
"Rabab?" Tifa asked as she stood up and walked over to the grave. She was about to touch his back when she noticed him look at her with those same blue eyes that Cloud used to always look at her with. The concern less eyes that always seemed to look down in your soul but you could never see any emotion in them.  
  
Rabab's bad paw swiped over the snow that was built up against the writing below his name on the tombstone.   
  
Forever in your heart, Tifa Lockheart  
  
His eyes met up with Tifa's once more as he looked into her eyes trying to see the comfort that he had tried to give her. Tifa looked at Rabab once more and tried to smile but the thoughts still didn't process through her head.   
  
"Come on Rabab, let's go home," Tifa said sweetly trying to encourage the wolf to follow her. Rabab backed away from her hand and began to limp off in the opposite direction.   
  
I don't want to ruin your life again Tifa. I think you'll be all right by yourself right now. Being with you like this is hurting me so much. I hate not being able to hug you and to comfort you the way I used to be able to. Move on Tifa, please...for me... Rabab's thoughts circulated in his head as he looked back at Tifa once more before hopping off into the forest.   
  
"I think I understand..." Tifa whispered out loud. She smiled to herself and turned away from the tree and began her walk back to her car, and hopefully to her new life.   
  
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Rabab's foot had finally healed after a month of cleaning it everyday and having to stay off of it and give up hunting the juicy rabbits and having to revert to the trashcans that were on the streets. His body had grown up and little more and so has his mind. It was time for him to go back into the wild and live his life as a wolf.   
  
Rabab's legs carried him faster and faster as he plowed through the forest chasing after the small rabbit that was avoiding his large teeth. The rabbit became an easy catch once it finally made the mistake and cornered itself against a large boulder. A quick bite to the back snapped the small creature's neck and served for a scrumptious dinner.   
  
After devouring his meal, Rabab decided to cool himself off with a small drink from the spring that Badra and he used to go to all the time. He reached the pool in a short time and quenched his thirst with the sweet water that he lapped up with his tongue. The cool rocks served as a good resting spot as he stretched out on one that was under a tree.   
  
Rabab had just about drifted off to sleep when he felt a large acorn drop on his head. A low growl escaped his mouth as he ignored the rude interruption and closed his eyes again to try and fall back into a deep sleep. Once again another acorn fell on his head waking him up.   
  
That's it! Stupid squirrel! Come down here so I can rip you head off! Rabab exclaimed as he looked up through the branches of the tree.   
  
Hey pup! Never thought I would see you again, a squirrel chirped and climbed down from the tree. Rabab recognized the familiar voice and the familiar name that he was called.  
  
Badra! I can't believe it's you! Rabab barked happily and stood up from the rock. Badra sat on his small hindquarters next to him while chewing on an acorn.   
  
Yeah kid, you'd better believe it! Come on, we've got a lot to talk about but first, let me tell you a little bit about being a squirrel. Rule number one...  
  
  
  
Author's Note: I loved that ending on the movie Fluke too. In fact, that's where I got the whole idea of this story (if you couldn't tell.) Well, if you know me, I'm always looking for new and unused ideas for stories and this just one that I had found. I hope you guys enjoyed this one and as you all know, I don't own any of these characters...except for maybe some of the names like...Kobat, Badra, and Rabab. That's it, the idea of the characters are Squaresoft's and the creator's of Fluke.   



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